NEW ORLEANS – To reduce concussions and their long-term effects, a Boston-based group wants state high school associations across the USA to eliminate full-contact during offseason football practices.

"You can learn how to play football without brain trauma," said Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute, a non-profit that promotes concussion awareness and prevention.

During a news conference Friday at Super Bowl XLVII, Nowinski said 29 state high school associations, including Florida and Texas, now allow full-contact football practice in the spring or summer, apart from drills during the preseason and in season.

"That's stands in stark contrast to what we understand about the developing brain being more vulnerable than the adult brain," said Nowinski. "And in a world where the NFL players are better protected than the teenagers, we have a problem and we should correct it.''

The NFL does not permit full contact in the offseason. Under the collective bargaining agreement, it also allows only 14 full-contact practices during the regular season. The Sports Legacy Institute also wants full-contact practices in high schools limited to one or fewer per week during the season.

"The only reason this isn't in place in high school is because high school athletes don't have an opportunity to negotiate. They don't have anyone in their corner with any power,'' said Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who participated in the news conference.

Hasselbeck said of the NFL limits on full contact: "It forces the coaches to help guys work on their technique, which makes the game better anyway. So this is an opportunity to make the game better, be smarter and obviously take care of the kids."

Kyle Turley, who played offensive tackle in the NFL from 1998 to 2007, also advocated for the ban on full contact in the offseason for high school players.

Turley wore dark glasses at the press conference, saying he said he is sensitive to light because of vertigo that developed during his playing days. Vertigo also can result in nausea and dizziness.

"I have these glasses on, one of the repercussions of my many episodes of dealing with vertigo that seemed to increase throughout my career," said Turley, who said the condition is now under control with the help of medication.

While playing for the New Orleans Saints in the 2001 season, Turley was involved in a game incident in which he tossed the helmet of one of the New York Jets across the field.

"Many people know me as the helmet throwing guy. But the scariest part of that is away from the game those football, those helmets turned into chairs and they turned into plates and they turned into spouse's crying and children crying,'' said Turley.

He said he was diagnosed with two concussions during his career. He said he has battled depression, anxiety and mood swings.

"I know personally -- knowing what a concussion is -- that I suffered multiple concussions throughout my career. … The severity of them is to be debated, but the effects of them all piling up have resulted in what I have to deal with today," he said.

He said stopping full contact by high school players in the offseason would be a step in the right direction.

"We want it to be fixed … We demand that it be fixed," said Turley.

Nowinski acknowledged the change in the high school rules won't happen overnight.

"We know that will take a long time to do," said Nowinski.

"There is a lot of bureaucracy at those levels. It's voted on by the membership. So we are encouraging coaches to stop hitting in spring and summer. And we are encouraging parents to not enroll their children in those sorts of programs. "